Bike Thefts are not on the Rise in Toronto, but if you live in one of these areas a bike lock may be a great investment
Tips for Toronto Cyclists to Prevent Bike Thefts
Trends in Toronto Bike Thefts from 2014 to 2023
The number of reported bike thefts in Toronto has not changed dramatically over the last decade. Bike thefts peaked in 2019 and slowly decreased between 2019 and 2023. Throughout the years, we can see that most bike thefts take place at a residence (house or apartment) or when a bike is left outside. Very few bike thefts took place at transit stations, educational buildings, and commercial buildings.
More Toronto residents live in houses than detached homes, so this does not necessarily mean that cyclists who live in an apartment are at a higher risk of having their bike stolen than cyclists who live in a house.
No significant changes or new trends in Toronto bike thefts have emerged over the past decade.
The percentage of bike thefts that took place in residences (houses and apartments combined) peaked in 2020. This makes sense, as many Torontonians stayed home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, the percentage of bike thefts in residences has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
In 2014, nearly one-third more bike thefts took place at houses than apartments. In 2024, there were nearly twice as many bike thefts at apartments compared to houses. The overall share of bike thefts that took place residences (including both houses and apartments) remained stable between 2014 and 2023 and peaked in 2020, the share of residence bike thefts at apartments has increased over time, while the share of residence bike thefts at houses has decreased over time. It is difficult to draw a conclusion about risk of bike theft based on type of residence using this data alone; it does not tell us the number of Toronto cyclists who live in apartments versus houses. Since 2015, more bike thefts have taken place at residences than any other premise. This should send a clear message to all Toronto cyclists: any kind of home can be a target for bike thieves. If you live in an apartment, consider
Downtown Neighbourhoods Have Higher Numbers of Bike Thefts Due to Higher Cyclist Volume
This might seem concerning, but let’s walk through the data. Many Toronto cyclists bike in these neighbourhoods, so here is some analysis.
Yes, the highest concentration of bike thefts in 2023 is in and around the downtown core. No, this does not mean your bike is more likely to get stolen downtown.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of reported bike theft locations from 2023 and City of Toronto designated bike parking locations. The two maps have one thing in common: the highest concentration of dots is in and around downtown.
Although we saw consistent trends in the breakdown of yearly bike thefts by premise type between 2014 and 2023 across the City of Toronto, different neighbourhoods have different high-theft premises. There is variation among the top 10. Most bike thefts in the Yonge-Bay corridor took place outside or by a commercial building; this makes sense because there are very few residential buildings in that area and many office buildings. It is likely the busiest area of Toronto ?@fig-top10premises
The 10 Neighbourhoods “Notorious” for Bike Thefts
Unsurprisingly, the ten neighbourhoods that have had the most bike thefts since 2014 are in downtown. But is your bike really at a higher risk of being stolen in the Yonge-Bay Corridor than any other Toronto neighbourhood? Not necessarily.
This section focuses on 2023 because the bike parking location data I obtained is from 2023. Bike parking locations in 2023 may not have existed back in 2014.
5 most affected neighborhoods and premises where bikes were stolen from in 2023
North York, near Yonge and Finch, saw a high concentration of bike thefts in 2023. This is particularly concerning because the bike parking facility data obtained from Open Data Toronto shows no City of Toronto bike parking facilities in that area or at that intersection. This indicates that cyclists who live in the neighbourhoods surrounding Yonge Street in North York may be at a higher risk of having their bikes stolen. If you are a cyclist who lives in North York near Yonge Street and you leave your bike outside at any time of day, it might be a good idea to invest in an effective bike lock.
Your bike is not more likely to be stolen downtown
If Your Bike Gets Stolen, You Probably Won’t Get it Back
While living in one of these neighbourhoods may not put you at a higher risk of having your bike stolen, the already slim chance of finding a stolen bike is virtually non-existent.